With each puff of a cigarette and a bit of tobacco, comes a rush of pleasure. But, this elation is short lived, as once this nicotine enters the body, it has a strong effect on the organs, slowly deteriorating one’s health. Tobacco contains nicotine which is a stimulant. It is mainly used in cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and cigars. It poses a risk of getting diseases affecting liver, heart and lungs.

Tobacco consumption is also said to be one of the biggest public health threats. As per WHO reports, tobacco kills 6 million people each year. Around five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco consumption while more than 600,000 are the results of passive smoking.

When a person smokes, they not only harm themselves but also the people around them. It is not just a person but the entire family who suffer.

Cases of people suffering from cancer due to tobacco consumption are regularly reported in the media, both traditional and digital. The following is the story of another tobacco user whose life was destroyed by Gutkha (chewable tobacco).

Dear tobacco users Attention! A true story of a tobacco user, please read and share for larger public interest.

Today I visited Salia Sahi and met Sri Purna Chandra Sahoo, a young man who suffered from mouth cancer being attributed by gutkha. He was a taxi driver and regularly chewing gutkha after few years developed white patches inside the mouth and finally developed into mouth cancer. Now he is under treatment, has faced surgery, about one side of cheek cut. He has four little girls whom the couples had decided to send them to child care institute because they are not able to take care. Now the husband remains at home, and the wife goes outside as domestic worker to feed five people in the family. I salute a young man of the locality named Rajesh Kumar Moharana who stood as Messiah before this poor family. He brought this news to the media and appealed for financial assistance as a result of which the tobacco victim could be helped. Our salute to this young social worker. While both Sri Rajesh and I were discussing with Purna Babu, an another lady told, Babu, my father was a khaini user, he suffered from mouth cancer, and I struggled for a year for his treatment but couldn’t save him. We lost everything in the treatment; even I didn’t have a paisa for the funeral deeds as well. Surprisingly, we could smell the lady being addicted to pan masala now. And the whole basti looks filled up with gutkha pouches. No lesson the basti has got probably. We have decided to carry out anti-tobacco campaign there. God save this generation.

Regards. Imran

The Logical Indian requests its community members to quit such habits and keep their health on priority.